Pivot file with multiple rows of file cards

ABSTRACT

A multiple row file with a number of rows of flat file cards pivotably mounted in a tray with each row bounded by pivotably mounted guide members.

Muted States Patent 1 [11] 3,

Scholfield Sept. 10, 1974 [54] PIVOT FILE WITH MULTIPLE ROWS OF 2,612,168 9/1952 Stark 40/67 FILE CARDS 2,693,648 11/1954 Anderson 40/67 X 3,503,496 3/1970 Kovarik et al. 40/67 X [75] Inventor: Richard P. Scholfield, Peekskill,

Primary ExaminerJ. H. Wolff [73] Asmgnee' glfimfacmrmg Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cushman, Darby &

Cushman [22] Filed: Jan. 16, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 324,143

' r [57] ABSTRACT (g1. A multiple row file with a number of rows of flat me cards pivotably mounted in a y with each row [58] Field of Search 40/67, 68, 102, 78, 104.2 bounded y pivotably mounted guide members. [56] References Cited 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures mcmmwwm sum 2 or 2 PIVOT FILE WITH MULTIPLE ROWS OIF FILE CARDS BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a card file.

Card files in which each card bears some different piece of information have been in widespread use for many years. The advantages of this type of data storage include ready and quick access by manually flipping through the cards, ease of card change and addition of information through new and replaced cards, and the economy of a generally simple construction.

One type of file which has found use in the past has been termed a pivot file. In this type of file, the information-bearing cards are pivotably mounted within a drawer or the like, so that they can be pivoted from a storage to an inspection position. The patents to Smyth 306,291 and Schindler 663,825 disclose two such files. By pivotably mounting'the cards in a tray, drawer or the like, the danger of loss of a card through removal or misfiling is minimized since the cards cannot normally be removed. Further, by pivoting the cards to an inspection position, they can be readily fanned to locate any desired card.

A copending application by the inventor of this application entitled PIVOT FILE, Ser. No. 322,149, filed Jan. 9, 1973, discloses a pivot file of this general type in which the cards are pivotally mounted in the file so that they cannot be readily removed and lost, but are still readily available for inspection. The file described in this copending application includes a tray having a pair of end members connected by a rigid bottom or base member. This base member has two fixed, rigid sides which extend upward from the bottom preferably in planes intersecting in an obtuse angle. Each of the cards likewise has a pair of edges or at least portions thereof which extend from the bottom of the card and form an angle which is less than the angle formed between the sides of the bottom member. The width of each of the cards is considerably less than the corresponding distance between the sides of the bottom member so that the cards can be readily pivoted away from contact with one of the sides of the bottom or base member to an inspection position. The cards can be pivotably mounted in the file by means of a guide rod passing through a hole in each card or in any other suitable fashion.

There are many situations in which it is convenient and desirable to have a number of rows of cards disposed side by side in a tray, filing drawer or similar housing. However, mounting such cards in trays such as described in the above-mentioned copending application takes a considerable amount of space, most of which is not usefully employed since normally only cards from one row are inspected at any given time. Accordingly, the space in the other rows needed for in spection of those rows is superfluous when those rows are not being inspected.

The present invention relates to a pivot file of the type generally described in the above-mentioned copending application in which a number of file cards are pivotably mounted in a number of rows about axes which extend generally parallel to one another. For each of the rows, a pair of pivotally mounted guide members are provided for bounding the side edges of the pivotably mounted cards. The guide members include stops which limit the rotation of the guide members at limiting positions which permit the cards to be pivoted from a storage to an inspection position in which they can be readily and easily fanned with the information being easily seen and derived from the cards. With the guide members at their limiting positions, the arcuate distance between the guide members at any given distance from the pivot axis is considerably greater than the arcuate distance between the side edges of the cards at the same distance from the pivot axis.

Further, in order to minimize the space which the rows take while at the same time providing that the cards of any given row can be quickly and easily shifted to an inspection position, the rows are preferably disposed so that a guide member of one of the rows has a path of travel which intersects the guide member of the other rows so that the two guide members cannot both be in their limiting positions at the same time. There is, of course, no need for them to be in their limiting positions at the same time since normally the cards from only one row are inspected simultaneously. When the inspection of that row has been completed, any guide member which is blocking the inspection of cards from a different row can be quickly and easily pivoted out of the way and cards from the other row readily inspected after the guide members of that row have been pivoted to its limiting position.

In the particular embodiment of the invention described below, both the guide members and the cards are pivotably mounted about at least a pair of rods which extend generally parallel to each other in a tray. Each of the guide members is provided with a flat extending surface which engages and supports the side edges of the respective cards.

Many other objects and purposes of the invention will be clear from the following detailed description of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the multiple row card file according to this invention with two rows;

FIG. 2 shows an exact outline of one card suitable for use in a multiple row card file as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view along the lines 3-3 in FIG. 1 illustrating how the guide members and cards can be pivoted about their axes for inspection and storage; and

FIG. 4 shows a sectional view along the lines 44 in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is now made to FIG. 1 which illustrates a perspective view of the multiple row card file of this invention having a pair of rows of cards 20 and 22 each comprised of a large number, for example, several hundred, individual cards 24 such as shown in FIG. 2. While only two rows 20 and 22 are illustrated in FIG. 1 to avoid cluttering the drawing, it should be apparent that any chosen number of rows can be employed depending upon how many cards are needed to store the desired information. The cards in rows 20 and 22 are pivotably mounted in a tray 26 which may form a portion of a drawer or which may be otherwise constructed as desired to fit in any given location. A pair of pivot rods 30 and 32 extend in tray 26 and each defines an axis of rotation. Rods 30 and 32 extend generally parallel to each other so that the two rows 20 and 22 each have an axis of rotation which is essentially parallel to the axis of rotation of the other row.

Row 20 is bounded by guide members 34 and 36 whice are likewise pivotably mounted for rotation about guide rod 30 which can be effected by the application of a manual force to the extending tab portions 38 and 40 of members 34 and 36, respectively. Guide members 34 and 36 each have a limiting position when the tabs 38 and 40, which serve as stops, respectively engage the edges of tray 26. Tab 38 in FIG. 1 is illustrated engaging the edge of tray 26.

Members 42 and 44 bound row 22 and are similarly provided with tab or stop portions 46 and 48 which likewiwe engage in limiting positions the edges of tray 26 as illustrated. This means in effect that the adjacent guide members cannot be simultaneously shifted to their limiting positions, which are used for inspection of the cards. This presents no problem since cards of different rows would not normally be used simultaneously in a search for information.

Thus, it can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4, the first step in using the card file is to shift any adjacent guide members for a chosen row out of the way and away from its limiting position. The bulk of the cards can then be shifted with their side edges in contact with the extending limiting surface of one of the guide members. Any given group of cards can then be easily pivoted to an inspection position adjacent or in contact with the extending surface of the other side member. Referring to FIG. 4, those cards would then be shifted to the position indicated as 50 where they can be readily flipped through and pivoted back to the storage position 52 whenever desired. During inspection, guide member 34 would be in its illustrated position and guide member 36 in the position indicated by dashed lines so that the arcuate distance about the axis defined by pivot rod 30 at any given radius from that rod between members 34 and 36 would be substantially greater than the arcuate distance at the same radius between the side edges of the cards.

As discussed in detail in the above-mentioned copending application the pivot cards as shown in FIG. 2 are provided with a hole 54 which is located adjacent a bottom edge 56. Side edges 58 and 60 extend upward from the bottom edge 56 to a top edge 62 with the intersections between these four edges being rounded. The extensions of side edges 58 and 60 form an acute angle.

Many changes and modifications in the abovedescribed embodiment of the invention can, of course, be carried out without departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, that scope is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A multiple row card file comprising:

a card tray, 7

a plurality of flat file cards adapted for bearing information and having side edges,

means for pivotably mounting in said tray about a first axis a number of said plurality of file cards which cards are alligned along said first axis with each other, means for pivotably mounting in said tray about a second axis extending roughly parallel to said first axis a further number of said plurality of file cards, which further number of cards are alligned along said second axis with each other, a first pair of guide means pivotably mounted in said tray and bounding therebetween said number of cards mounted about said first axis, each of said guide means including a stop portion with the stop portion of one of said first pair limiting the pivotable movement of that guide means at a first limiting position and the stop portion of the other of said first pair limiting the pivotable movement of that means at a second limiting position so that when said pair of guide means of said first pair are pivoted into said first and second limiting positions, respectively, the arcuate distance about said first axis between said means of said first pair substantially exceeds the arcuate distance about said first axis between said side edges of the cards bounded by said first pair of guide means, permitting any chosen cards to be pivoted away from one limiting position to the other limiting position and from the rest of the cards for visual inspection when said means of said first pair are in said first and second limiting positions, and second pair of guide means pivotably mounted in said tray and bounding therebetween said number of cards mounted about said second axis, each of said guide means of said second pair including a stop portion with the stop portion of one of said second pair limiting the pivotable movement of that guide means at a third limiting position and the stop portion of the other of said second pair limiting the pivotable movement of that guide means at a fourth limiting position so that when said guide means of said second pair are pivoted into said third and fourth limiting positions, respectively, the arcuate distance about said second axis between said side edges of the cards bounded by said second pair of guide means, permitting any chosen cards to be pivoted away from one limiting position to the other limiting position and from the rest of the cards for inspection when said means of said second pair are in said third and fourth limiting positions, the path of travel of one of said guide means of said first pair intersecting the path of travel of an adjacent guide means of said second pair so that the guide means whose paths intersect cannot be in their limiting position simultaneously.

2. A file as in claim 1 wherein said first and second axis mounting means each include a rod and each of said cards has a hole for receiving a rod and wherein said guide means are pivotably mounted about said rods.

3. A file as in claim 1 wherein each guide means has an extending surface for engaging side edges of the bounded cards. 

1. A multiple row card file comprising: a card tray, a plurality of flat file cards adapted for bearing information and having side edges, means for pivotably mounting in said tray about a first axis a number of said plurality of file cards which cards are alligned along said first axis with each other, means for pivotably mounting in said tray about a second axis extending roughly parallel to said first axis a further number of said plurality of file cards, which further number of cards are alligned along said second axis with each other, a first pair of guide means pivotably mounted in said tray and bounding therebetween said number of cards mounted about said first axis, each of said guide means including a stop portion with the stop portion of one of said first pair limiting the pivotable movement of that guide means at a first limiting position and the stop portion of the other of said first pair limiting the pivotable movement of that means at a second limiting position so that when said pair of guide means of said first pair are pivoted into said first and second limiting positions, respectively, the arcuate distance about said first axis between said means of said first pair substantially exceeds the arcuate distance about said first axis between said side edges of the cards bounded by said first pair of guide means, permitting any chosen cards to be pivoted away from one limiting position to the other limiting position and from the rest of the cards for visual inspection when said means of said first pair are in said first and second limiting positions, and a second pair of guide means pivotably mounted in said tray and bounding therebetween said number of cards mounted about said second axis, each of said guide means of said second pair including a stop portion with the stop portion of one of said second pair limiting the pivotable movement of that guide means at a third limiting position and the stop portion of the other of said second pair limiting the pivotable movement of that guide means at a fourth limiting position so that when said guide means of said second pair are pivoted into said third and fourth limiting positions, respectively, the arcuate distance about said second axis between said side edges of the cards bounded by said second pair of guide means, permitting any chosen cards to be pivoted away from one limiting position to the other limiting position and from the rest of the cards for inspection when said means of said second pair are in said third and fourth limiting positions, the path of travel of one of said guide means of said first pair intersecting the path of travel of an adjacent guide means of said second pair so that the guide means whose paths intersect cannot be in their limiting position simultaneously.
 2. A file as in claim 1 wherein said first and second axis mounting means each include a rod and each of said cards has a hole for receiving a rod and wherein said guide means are pivotably mounted about said rods.
 3. A file as in claim 1 wherein each guide means has an extending surface for engaging side edges of the bounded cards. 